As a strong woman with an appreciation of other strong women, I was very impressed with the numbers that marched all over the world the day after the presidential inauguration to speak out as a gender. It takes organization, leadership, consensus, a sense of unity and, in this case at least, a very scary cause for so many to gather and combine their feet and voices.

We just have to remember, in this day and age, it won’t be enough. Marching makes a statement. It doesn’t change legislation. It doesn’t change leaders.

As United States citizens of legal age, women, or anyone for that matter, who are unhappy with the state our our government and its officials need to make it count with a vote. Not just in the presidential election, but in every election. Your council members, your mayors, your state congressmen and women, your governor, your federal congressmen and women; federal mandates are one thing, but federal dollars are another. Quite often it’s up to state officials to decide how that money is divided, then districts, counties, townships, and finally cities and villages. You pay all of them. You need to know at least who they are.

Don’t like what the US congress is doing right now with your money? Who are your congressmen or women? Did you even vote when they were elected? Here in lies the problem. Less than half of the US citizens of legal voting age voted in the last election. That apathy not only affected the presidency, it affected all the officials on that ballet, right down to a sheriff or county clerk or state representative. And the percentage is even smaller in a bi-election year when the highest office in the land is not up for grabs.

So, yay, I’m glad, grateful, proud that my gender gathered together in solidarity to make themselves known and noticed. How about showing up to the next election in your area and voting? Go online to your municipality and see what’s up for elections in April, who is on the ballet, and what they would bring to the post.

Even better, get together in numbers and discuss ways to keep up the fight. Do your own campaigning and collect signatures to oust the US congressman or woman whose agenda is hurting you, your family, your country. When those signatures are collected en mass, send them to that representative and contact them often. Let them know that you will fight them with your vote if they don’t change their ways and listen. Whether they like it or not, you are their constituent and you deserve to be heard.

For some it may be a little late. But leaders are elected to the US House every two years, the US Senate every six. 2018 is not that far away. If Trump doesn’t self destruct in the next four years, it’s still possible to restructure the US Congress to take away some of the one sided power. And don’t forget everyone else down the chain.

Battle with will. Battle with stamina. Battle with unerring consistency, and battle with passion and integrity. But most of all, battle with your vote, all the time, every time, before the privilege to do so is taken away.